.webp.8497384650ada8a3e4f1fd5dd6c3fb2a.webp)
TORONTO, July 20, 2015 - U.S. Water Ski Team members Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.), Adam Pickos (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) and Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.) each advanced to the finals in respective events on Monday as preliminary-round action in water skiing got under way at the XVII Pan American Games at Ontario Place West Channel.
Jaquess and Lang advanced to the finals of women's slalom and tricks, scoring 1 buoy at 39-1/2 feet off and 3 buoys at 35 feet off, respectively, in slalom, and 6,480 points and 8,590 points, respectively, in tricks. Lang's score of 8,590 points is a new Pan American Games record and earned her the top seed for Thursday's finals. She will be the No. 4 seed in slalom. " i was hoping for a better score in tricks but it all good lang said. about advancing to the finals so being able do that and earning top seed has me pretty happy with how things worked out. hopefully can even finals. jaquess earned no. behind canada whitney mcclintock buoys at feet off slalom tricks.>
Smith advanced to the finals of men's slalom, scoring 2 buoys at 41 feet off. Smith's score, which earned him the top seed for Thursday's finals, tied the Pan American Games record set by U.S. athlete Jonathan Travers at the 2011 Pan American Games. In challenging conditions with steady winds and slight chop on the water, Smith managed to be the only athlete to clear the 38 off pass, in addition to the 39 off pass. Argentina's Javier Julio earned the No. 2 seed with a score of 4-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off. "The conditions were pretty tough, but I just went out there and stayed strong and aggressive and did my thing," Smith said. "I feel confident heading into the finals."
Pickos advanced to the finals of men's tricks, scoring 10,920 points and earning the top seed for the finals. He missed out on advancing to the finals of men's slalom, coming up short in a run-off for the final spot. "It was a long day, an up-and-down roller coaster," Pickos said. "I was on the bubble in slalom and didn't make it, and then I had to turn my focus to tricks. I was able to put together two stand-up passes and put myself in a good position for the finals. I'm really happy with the way things worked out in tricks and earning the top seed for the finals is something I was aiming to do."
Competition continues Tuesday with preliminary round action in jumping and wakeboarding. Jaquess and Lang will compete in women's jumping. Daniel Powers (Orlando, Fla.) will compete in men's wakeboarding.
Lori Krueger-Covington (Martindale, Texas) and Jim Powers (Orlando, Fla.) are the coaches for water skiing and wakeboarding, respectively. Jim Grew (Winter Haven, Fla.) is the team leader and Dr. Brad Harman (Alvarado, Texas) is the team physician.
More than 7,000 athletes from across the Americas and Caribbean are putting their years of intense training, perseverance and sacrifice to the test in world-class competition in 36 sports at the Pan American Games. The Pan American Games is the world's third largest international multi-sport Games; the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games only surpass it in size and scope. The first Pan American Games was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951. It is held every four years for the athletes of the 41 PASO member nations, in the year preceding the Olympic Summer Games.
Water Ski Schedule (Subject to Change)
Tuesday, July 21
10 a.m. Men's and Women's Jumping Preliminaries
Men's Wakeboarding Semifinal Heats
Wednesday, July 22
10 a.m. Men's and Women's Overall Finals
Men's Wakeboarding Finals (Top Eight From Semifinals)
Thursday, July 23
10 a.m. Women's Slalom Finals (Top Six From Preliminaries)
Men's Slalom Finals (Top Eight From Preliminaries)
Women's Tricks Finals (Top Six From Preliminaries)
Men's Tricks Finals (Top Eight From Preliminaries)
Women's Jumping Finals (Top Six From Preliminaries)
Men's Jumping Finals (Top Eight From Preliminaries)
About USA Water Ski
USA Water Ski was formed in 1939 as a non-profit organization promoting water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is affiliated with the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States. This press release, as well as other information, is available at www.USAWATERSKI.org.